Johannesburg - A court sheriff visited the Gauteng health department's head office on Thursday intending to attach furniture after it failed to settle its bills.
“The sheriff did visit the department with the intention to attach furniture due to outstanding payments,” department spokesman Prince Hamnca said.
“After a meeting with our financial and legal teams it was revealed only one account was outstanding. The furniture was not attached. We agreed to pay the amount by the end of the week.”
Earlier Democratic Alliance MPL Jack Bloom said the department had settled 17 medical negligence claims, amounting to R79.6 million, so far this year.
This was revealed by acting health MEC Lebogang Maile in a written reply to Bloom's questions in the Gauteng legislature.
“The largest payment this year is R22.2m paid to Thato Mokheti for negligence at Sebokeng Hospital in operating a lump on his neck, which resulted in him losing the use of his right arm.”
Bloom said there were 76 more cases totalling R793m before the courts against the department.
He said the department needed a “shake-up” to ensure medical mistakes were minimised and legal payments to victims expedited.
Hamnca could not immediately give further detail on the cases against the department.
Sapa